5 minutes with Moonchild Sanelly

Musician Moonchild Sanelly chats to us about her music and upcoming performance at the Red Bull Music Festival. By Kwanele Mathebula

I started performing while studying at the Durban University of Technology. My key focus was poetry and hip-hop. I was then discovered by the Red Bull Music Academy through an EP that DJ Shimza featured me on.

My music is inspired by the need to speak my mind without fear. I write my music from personal experiences and challenges. My songs are anthems that aim to liberate and amuse women. I’ve always been around music, which was heavily influenced by my mother and brother. I also derive a lot of inspiration from anime.

My relationship with Red Bull is a long-standing one. It began when the academy heard me on an EP. It has been very present in my musical career as an independent artist. A lot of my music was recorded at the academy’s studios. I was also involved in many of its past events.

I am excited about my performance at this year’s Red Bull Music Festival. People can expect a performance full of energy, plenty of surprises and fiery galactic sounds. With 80 artists, the weekend is going to be lit!

In my spare time, I focus on my fashion and creative design work. I am a creative at heart, and fashion plays a big part of who I am. I studied fashion design at Linea Fashion Design Academy in Durban. My love for the arts and unorthodox designs, as well as having a creative edge, inspired me to launch my own label called Moonchild Cultwear. It is doing well.

I am planning to release more music and projects this year. I am working on three EPs for both the local and European market. I’ll also be performing at the Olympics.

The Red Bull Music Festival takes place from 03 – 08 April 2018 in Johannesburg. Find tickets here.